Can You ‘Make Up’ a Yoga Pose?
by Kara-Leah Grant Recently I read a post on social media which went something like this: Here's so & so teacher making up a new yoga pose for you. WTF? Since when were yoga poses - asana - 'made up'? Since they began being taught through intellectual understanding rather than embodiment, that's when. Yoga postures are a physical result of an energetic process. They emerge from the flow of Prana within the body. Or here's another way to put it. Yoga is a state of presence. In that … [Read more...]
In the presence of Seane Corn: A Workshop With a Potent Yoga Teacher
By Michelle Jayne, Yoga Facilitator/Therapist/Coach I love teaching yoga but like any job, there are pros and cons. On the pro side, I go to ‘work’ everyday and do what I love. I usually see the best in people and the essence of possibility and growth, all interwoven into a well themed yoga class. I have freedom during my week, and there is a sense of irresponsibility that goes along with it. I feel like I never managed to ‘grow up’ get a ‘real job’ and ‘settle down’. This is a good … [Read more...]
Nianna Bray on Vinyasa Teacher Training in Queenstown & Wanderlust 2015
by Kara-Leah Grant It's not often that international teachers come down to New Zealand to lead Teacher Trainings over three consecutive weeks in one location, giving New Zealand based teacher trainees the opportunity to study at an international level without leaving the country. But thanks to some serious serendipity, that's exactly what's happening At Nadi Wellness in Queenstown from February 6th to March 3rd, 2017. Meet Nianna Bray, international yoga teacher and Tantric yogini. Nianna … [Read more...]
How to Cultivate your Core and Radiate through Your Limbs {video}
by Kara-Leah Grant Welcome to the second in this series of Yoga Explorations. This week we're going to continue building on our sequence while exploring a second pair of breath movements. Tuning into these two breaths - inhaling and cultivating the core, exhaling and radiating through the limbs - helps us to find strength and integrity in postures. But for many of us, tuning into the breath movements within the pose can be difficult. We struggle to keep our awareness on the breath … [Read more...]
A Review of Modern Yoga: An Accessible, Detailed and Nuanced Take on Yoga for the 21st Century
by Kara-Leah Grant I love yoga books, and I'm often disappointed by them - not because they don't have great information, but because too often they're just a collection of postures or sequences with very little information about actual Yoga. My favourite books are those that deepen one's understanding of yoga, as a state of presence, as well deepen our understanding of postures - which are simply a tool of yoga. Modern Yoga by Duncan Peak does both of these things. And even better, it does … [Read more...]
Time to give up on asana, old man
by Mike Berghan, Te Aro Astanga For a long time now I have never really asked myself why I do my Ashtanga Vinyasa practice 5 or 6 days a week. If anyone asked me I would say because it is who I am and that I enjoy it. As the result of a couple of recent conversations, and these cold Wellington winter mornings I have been thinking about it a bit more. A friend and student of mine recently said to me after I explained that I try to do 2 Intermediate, 2 Advanced A, and 1 Primary Series Practice … [Read more...]
April 21: Christchurch, Energetic Vinyasa Flow Workshop with Kara-Leah @ Flow Hot Yoga
In this workshop, students will: Learn how to allow asana to emerge as a natural unfolding Relax into moment by moment expression of prana Experience alignment as a dynamic, ever-renewing & ever-changing relationship with prana Learn how to integrate method or form with intuition or inner knowing Read more about this workshop here. … [Read more...]
March 11: Nelson, Energetic Vinyasa Flow Workshop with Kara-Leah
NOTE: This workshop is now scheduled for Sunday March 11th, due to bad weather for travel. Energetic Vinyasa Flow - The Evolution of Yoga*** Liberate your practice! Learn how to allow asana to emerge as a natural unfolding Relax into moment by moment expression of prana Experience alignment as a dynamic, ever-renewing & ever-changing relationship with prana Learn how to integrate method or form with intuition or inner knowing Kara-Leah is a certified 200 Hr Prana Flow Yoga … [Read more...]
An interview with Allyson Donnelly, Director of Programming at Abundance Studios, on Power Living Yoga Teacher Training
As yoga continues to grow in popularity worldwide, so too do opportunities to study to be a yoga teacher. Even here in New Zealand, there are now a multitude of choices for yoga teacher training. The latest training on offer is Abundance Studio's Power Living Yoga Teacher Training, an intensive two-week programme kicking off this February with Baron Baptiste-trained Duncan Peak of Australia. The Yoga Lunchbox had a chat to Allyson Donnelly, Director of Programming at Abundance Studios in … [Read more...]